Tony Abbott, who is expected to become Australia’s next prime minister, has proposed the toughest measures yet against asylum seekers, vowing to end any judicial reviews of refugee claims, denying claimants permanent residency and forcing them into indefinite work-for-the dole programmes.

“This is our country and we determine who comes here,” Mr Abbott, the opposition Liberal Party leader, told reporters yesterday. His announcement followed a pre-election campaign declaration by the Labor Government that any boat arrivals would be taken to Papua New Guinea or the impoverished Pacific island of Nauru for processing, and settled there if their claims were found